Michael Foale

Michael Foale has experienced many things that are out of this world- quite literally. Formerly an astronaut for NASA, Michael has spent an impressive amount of time in space and formerly held the record for the most amount of time spent in space by a US citizen with a tally of 374 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes. With such amazing experiences under his belt as a veteran of six space missions, Michael is now booked as a speaker for a range of corporate and public events. When booked as a speaker, Michael is sought to share his incredible experiences of time in space and space technology.

Famed for his time spent as a NASA astronaut, Michael is a veteran of STS-45, STS-56, STS-63, STS-84, STS-103 and TMA-3 space missions. Throughout his time as an astronaut, Michael has spent an impressive number of hours aboard both the Mir and the International Space Station, claiming the title of the only NASA astronaut to have flown extended missions on both stations. Michael has also acted as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and been the Assistant Director of the Johnson Space Centre.

Before experiencing his amazing career in outer space, Michael studied at the University of Cambridge Queen’s College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Natural Sciences Tripos. He then went on to study for a Doctorate, graduating with a Doctorate in Laboratory Astrophysics. Michael then went on to join the NASA Johnson Space Centre, where he worked as the Payload Officer in the Mission Control Centre before being selected to become an astronaut in 1987. From that point on Michael became a prominent member of several space missions, also experiencing his fair share of disasters. When aboard a space mission in 1997, Michael saved the Mir station from disaster after Russians launched rubbish into space which hit the Mir. Isolating the area after a drop in air pressure, Michael saved himself from catastrophe.

Other prominent roles of Michael’s include Chief of the Astronaut Office Expedition Corps and Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Operations. He is also the founder of Foale Aerospace and was inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame. In 2013, Michael announced that he would be retiring as an astronaut and would instead be focussing his interests on advancing green aviation technology with electric aircraft. He has also dedicated time to assisting with the International Space Schools Education Trust and been appointed CBE.

Having experienced extraordinary things that some of us will never get to, Michael is now booked as a speaker for corporate events to share his incredible experiences as an astronaut. Having spent a great deal of time in space, Michael is able to discuss topics such as space exploration and space technology and what it felt like to see what is outside our earth. An insightful and engaging speaker, Michael Foale is a great speaker for a variety of events.